Djokovic had to call for a medical time-out just five games into his 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1 victory at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night.
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As for the treatment he received on his arm, Djokovic said: “It was just prevention”.
The 26-year-old Dane recovered from 0-4 down in the first set to record a seventh win in eight meetings and third in NY over the ninth-seeded Russian.
Djokovic had admitted that he was “not 100 percent” after suffering a wrist injury on the eve of the Olympics where he was a first-round loser.
Djokovic, a 12-time grand slam victor, took a medical timeout midway through the first set to receive treatment on his right arm.
Novak Djokovic, faltering and looking unusually vulnerable in his opening match at the U.S. Open, will attempt to right the ship on Wednesday when he plays Czech Jiri Vesely in the second round.
“It was hard to follow Phil Collins”, joked Djokovic in reference to the lengthy opening ceremony which featured the veteran English rocker under the new $150 million roof on the Arthur Ashe Stadium. I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about (the arm) now.
Nadal missed 2 1/2 months because of a problem with the tendon sheath in his wrist, pulling out of the French Open before the third round, then skipping Wimbledon altogether.
Federer, the victor of a record 17 majors and a five-time champion in NY, shut down his season to rest a knee injury which was aggravated in a semi-final loss at Wimbledon. That injury also kept him from playing at Cincinnati.
Nadal, who progressed through to the second round, wished his arch-rival Federer speedy recovery and stated that it was very tough to see the players outside of the tour, Sport24 reported.
“It’s not the same when you don’t have Roger for the tournament, for the fans”.
“There is no doubt that every tournament is missing him”.
The only other British player in action on the first day was Kyle Edmund, who makes his way into shock of the day.
There have been plenty of question marks over the Serb going into the tournament as doubts remain about his fitness, and he did not look content during the game – constantly grimacing and wincing. “He played very well, I thought, and he earned everything up to that point for sure”. Injuries are part of the career.
The 33-year-old Italian, playing at Flushing Meadows for the 14th time, goes on to face either Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan or Germany’s Carina Witthoeft.
The Frenchman, seeded 10th, won 6-4 6-2 7-6 (7-5).
Muguruza carved out a gritty 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Belgian qualifier Elise Mertens, ranked at 137.
The 26-year-old Dane recovered from 0-4 down in the first set to record a seventh win in eight meetings and third in NY over the ninth-seeded Russian.
Fifth seed Simona Halep blasted her way into the second round of the US Open on Tuesday by demolishing Kirsten Flipkens 6-0 6-2 underlining her credentials as a potential grand slam victor.
The Spaniard needed nearly two hours to dispatch her opponent. The third seed, who lost in round two previous year, next faces 48th-ranked Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.
Madison Keys and Alison Riske played to the latest finish ever recorded for a women’s match at the US Open.
On the men’s side of things, the past three champions, Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic and Novak Djokovic all progressed as expected, as did Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and French showman Gael Monfils.
Monfils nearly suffered a freak accident when a giant courtside clock fell towards him as he collided with the back wall, chasing down a Muller shot.
Rafa Nadal was worn out from his Rio Olympics exertions after emerging from an injury absence to win doubles gold, but the Spaniard perked back up with his trip to NY for the U.S. Open.
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Baghdatis eliminated 32nd-seeded Benoit Paire of France 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 on Wednesday.
